V.6 - Measurements of accompaniment and support to the
process of integration
The commission ambitionne to make succeed negotiations of the
trade agreements and investment with the Middle-East and Maghreb countries and
the Economic Agreement of Partnership (APE) of West Africa with the European
Union.
Medium-term, the challenge to be raised is that of the good
administration of the policy of
the competition without which, perverse effects of a bad
application of this legislation,
are likely to compromise the implementation of the other reforms
undertaken in the Union.
For this purpose, to ensure a uniform application of the
provisions of articles 88 and 89 of
Treated on the whole of the territory of the Union, the
Commission will give a priority to
formation of its frameworks and those of the Member States.
Moreover, the Commission will harness itself in the domestic
front, to clarify the procedures between it and them
national structures and to evaluate the reforms which the Member
States should operate in
tally of the application of the Directive n°02/2002/CM/UEMOA
of May 23, 2002.
It will also act for the Commission, to undertake a series of
investigations relative to
government aid whose majority, granted without rationality, often
result in maintaining in
activity of the nonviable companies, thus causing a cost high for
the company. Also, it
dismantling of these assistances must it constitute a priority
for the Commission, in order to
to safeguard the unit and the cohesion of the Common Market.
Concerning the harmonization of the taxations, the Commission
will carry out the following actions:
- continuation of the harmonization of the interior indirect
taxations, with the study of the methods
of indirect tax department;
- followed application of the Community directives already
adopted within the framework of
harmonization of the interior indirect taxations.
By doing this and except adaptations necessary, the Commission
will have finished in at the end of 2004, the implementation of the programme
of harmonization of the indirect taxations interior and started the
harmonization of the direct taxation within the UEMOA.
Lastly, the bearing Treaty creation of the Parliament
should come into effect as of the completion of
procedures of ratification by the national Parliaments. New
scheduling
institutional which will result from it, the legitimacy of the
acts will unquestionably consolidate
Community, with the intervention with all the stages of the
procedures of adoption, of
Parliament, emanation of the populations, as a Co-legislator,
beside the Council of
Ministers.
V.7- The regional economic program (PER)
- Context of the PER
The economic and financial situation of the Member States of the
Union was characterized,
during the Eighties and at the beginning of the Nineties, by an
alarming deceleration
economic growth, a persistence of deep imbalances of finances
public and of the current external payments, like by sharp
pressures on
currency.
Fresh impulse given to the process of adjustment of the economies
by the setting in
work of a total strategy, articulated around the modification of
the parity of the franc
CFA and of the signature of the Treaty of the UEMOA in 1994,
allowed the Union, over the period
1994-1998, to join again with the economic growth, a better
control of
inflationary pressures and a reduction of imbalances of the
finance public.
Thus, the economic activity was significantly rectified,
recording one
average progression of 5,1% per annum.
This renewal of activity grew blurred since 1999, following the
amplification of
exogenic shocks, with the environmental pollution socio-policy in
certain countries
and with the implementation of inappropriate economic policies,
thus reducing the rate/rhythm
of economic expansion with 2,0% on average per annum during the
period 2000-2003.
This level of growth remains lower than grows demographic
estimated at 3%. It is
also in withdrawal compared to the economic growth rate of
necessary 7% to fight
effectively against the poverty and which would make it possible
to reach into 2015 the Objectives of
Development of Millenium (ODM).
The process of restoration of public finances, which the Member
States knew
union between 1994 and 1998, following the strong tensions
recorded on
public treasuries at the beginning of the years 1990, seems to be
blown. Indeed, them
last estimates let appear that the total budget deficit, except
gifts,
would locate at 4,2% of the GDP in 2003, after being brought back
from 9,6% of the GDP in 1993 to
4,4% in 1996. The tax pressure ratio of the Union hardly exceeded
15,0%. Of
new arrears of payment were accumulated in certain Member States.
amount listed in 2003 was 390,8 billion F CFA including 295,9
billion CFA under the external arrears of payment. These against-performances
are overall ascribable with
an insufficient cleansing of the finance public and with a
budgetary arbitration
generally unfavourable with the capital expenditures.
With regard to the debt, its weight continues to weigh heavily on
the situation of
finance public, thus constituting an additional constraint with
the rectification of
the economic and financial situation of the Member States, in
particular as regards
development of the sectors of the basic infrastructures,
education, the health and drinkable water conveyance. Indeed, the debt
servicing absorbs nearly one the third of the total budget revenue of the
Union.
Vis-a-vis the insufficiency of the budgetary resources in a
context of fall of the assistance
external, the public capital expenditures were registered in
retreat of 1,0% in
average per annum since 1999 against an annual rise of 18,0% over
the period 1994-
1998. As for the annual average volume of the external contests
mobilized during
four last years, in support with the economic and financial
programs put in
work by the States of the Union, it was lower of more than one
third than that recorded on
period 1995-1998.
The intra-Community trade, whose expansion was to be supported by
the setting in
place Customs union, are remained on relatively moderate levels,
fact
in particular of the similarity of the structures of production
of the States of the Union and the cost
still high of transport within the Union. Their share in the
trade foreign of
Member States passed from 10,8% in 1993 to 14,3% in 2000 and to
15,4% in 2002. They
are primarily composed of industrial products originating in the
UEMOA (manure,
cement, concrete-reinforcing steel, etc), of grown and
breeding.
As regards the social aspects, poverty remains a daily concern in
the States
members, phenomenon worsened by other plagues, such as the AIDS,
paludism,
illiteracy, etc Indeed, the majority of the social indicators of
the Union are with
not very satisfactory levels. The number of people living in
lower part of the threshold of
poverty accounts for 45,0% on average total population. The death
rate
infantile (0 to 1 year) is estimated at 103 %o against 92 %o for
sub-Saharan Africa.
rate of primary and secondary schooling is, respectively, at 64%
and 15%,
against 77% and 27% for Sub-Saharan Africa. The life expectancy
to the birth is
from 47 years, on the same level as that of Sub-Saharan
Africa.
As regards infrastructures, the Union is slightly equipped with
it. Indeed, it shows one
important delay compared to the majority of the other areas of
the world in terms of
quantity, quality, cost and equal acces of the populations to the
infrastructures and services
basic. It results from it a weak competitiveness from the
economies, an imperfect integration
markets, difficulties of circulation of the goods and services
and a weak growth
economic, major obstacle with the reduction of poverty.
Taking into consideration this socio-economic situation, durable
improvement of the standard of living
populations of the Union and the reduction of the inequalities
require an acceleration of
implementation of the common sectoral policies and the structural
reforms in
sight to stimulate the economic growth, to attenuate the impact
of the exogenic shocks and
to ensure a better insertion of the States of the UEMOA in the
world economy.
The Regional Economic Program (PER) takes part in this
regional construction and has
for principal goal to give a new dash to the economies of the
Union and to place them
country on the way of a durable development. So the accent will
be particularly
put on the reinforcement of the productive sector and the basic
social services. It must
also to allow to reach levels of capable growth to reduce
appreciably poverty within the Union.
The development of a Regional Economic Program within the
UEMOA is justified
more especially as the current approach of the development
privileges the formation of blocks
economic regional.
Thus, on the level of Africa, the New Partnership for the
Development of Africa
(NEPAD) a new framework of interaction with the rest of the world
constitutes, in particular
with the industrialized countries and the multilateral
organizations.
At the international level, the Agreement of partnership between
the Peaceful countries Africa the Caribbean
(ACP STATE) and the European Union (EU) signed on June 23, 2000
in Cotonou devotes
co-operation and integration regional like a strategy to achieve
goals which
four great fields touch :reinforcement of the political
dimension of the relations between the ACP countries and the EU, the reduction
of poverty in the context of the objectives and the strategies stopped on an
international scale, the establishment of a innovating framework of economic
and commercial co-operation and the rationalization of the procedures and the
financial instruments.
The Regional Economic Program is thus elaborate in an
international context
favorable, marked by the increasing engagement of the partners to
the development with
to devote more and more financial and technical supports to the
realization of the actions
of Community development and to create a synergy with the other
organizations with
regional vocation (CEDEAO, CILSS, etc).
- objectives of the PER
The regional economic Program is an instrument of implementation
of a strategy
aiming at the deepening of regional economic integration. It
makes it possible to throw them
bases of a new organization of the production, circulation of the
factors of
production, of the goods and services, and the capital on a
regional scale. In this diagram,
bodies and institutions in load of the implementation of the
Treaty (Commission of
the UEMOA, the BCEAO and the BOAD, etc) do not act in an
autonomous way with
realization concretes these priorities. They take part
in.liaison.with the Member States
with their implementation and their financing.
The PER is a whole of integrating projects selected at the
regional level counts
held their catalysts effects in the realization of the growth
targets and of
development of the Union. It complements the efforts made by the
States
members as regards public investments and increase in the
investments
deprived.
The total objective of the PER is to contribute to the deepening
of the process of integration in order to stimulate a strong, durable and
reducing growth of poverty.
The framework of intervention for the achievement of this
objective is leant with the fundamental objectives of the Treaty of the UEMOA
and takes into account the Objectives of Development of the Millenium and the
priorities of the NEPAD.
The specific objectives which result from this are as follows:
- the rehabilitation and the modernization of the basic
infrastructures of the Union;
- improvement of the competitiveness of industries of the Union,
in particular with the means
levelling of the industrial capacities, promotion of SME/SME,
of
the valorization and of the transformation of the natural
resources and the reduction
factor costs;
- the reduction of poverty and the promotion of the human
development, by
reinforcement of food safety, the fight against pandemias and
it
reinforcement of the capacities human and institutional;
- the promotion of centers of excellence in the training areas
higher and of high level hospital care.
- Awaited Results
The awaited results of the implementation of the PER are as
follows:
- contribution to the realization of an average growth rate
annual of the Interior Product Gross (GDP) real of more than 7%;
- reinforcement of the competitiveness of the economies of the
Union by the means of the reduction of the costs of the factors of production,
the development of the basic infrastructures within the framework of an open
and competing market and a rationalized and harmonized legal environment -
intensification of the intra-Community trade;
- diversification of the production and exports;
- participation in the achievement of the international
objectives of durable development by 2015, i.e.:
- to reduce half the proportion of the population of the Union
which suffers from
hunger and that alive under conditions of extreme poverty;
- to ensure in the Union the schooling of all the children, boys
and girls, in age to attend the primary schools and to eliminate the
disparities between the sexes in all the levels from teaching;
- to reduce two thirds death rates of the children of less than 5
years;
- to reduce by three quarters the death rates related to
maternity;
- to ensure the access to the health services all and to limit
the propagation of
HIV/AIDS and of paludism;
- to reduce half percentage of the population which does not have
durable access of way to a supply drinking water.
The PER privileges the area in its strategy of economic
development.
fundamental principles which underlie its implementation are, on
the one hand, one
co-operation reinforced between the Member States and, in
addition, the development of one
partnership with the private and public sectors on the levels
national and regional.
regional initiatives remain centered on the public services which
cannot be
provided effectively by each country taken individually.
them priority sectors of the PER
Priority sectors targeted in the PER 2004 - 2008 are drawn from
the Declaration from
Heads of State and Government of the Union from January 10, 2004
in Niamey (Niger) whose orientations relate to the need for accelerating the
emergence of a dynamic regional economic pole and thrives, in which would be
organized the efforts of adaptation of the economies to the requirements of
universalization and of improvement of the productivity, in order to offer
better prospects for growth.
These strategic orientations for the Union were declined in
priority projects starting from the sectoral policies already adopted by the
authorities of decision of the Union.
Taking into account the possibilities of carryforward which
offers the slipping programming, a selective step of the projects was adopted,
underlain by prudence and it
realism in the determination of the level and the capacity for
absorption of the financing with
to mobilize. This step led to the definition of the criteria of
selection hereafter:
- integrating character of the projects (application of the
principle of «subsidiarity»);
- priority character of the projects, their maturity proven thus
that their feasibility
on the period of the program and the realism of their
evaluation;
- nonthe inscription of the projects in the Public Investment
Plans of States (PIP) and their entirely physical character
- nonthe availability of whole or part of the financing for the
project;
- impact of the projects on the acceleration of the growth.
The Economic Program Regional 2004-2008 privileges three priority
axes, namely the rehabilitation and modernization of the economic
infrastructures, the valorization and the transformation of the natural
resources and the human development towards which are respectively directed
69,1%, 15,6% and 11,2% of the resources to be mobilized for its implementation.
The choice related to these priority axes is justified, on the one hand, by the
need for reducing the costs of the factors of production, the modernization of
the basic infrastructures, the diversification of the agricultural production
and, on the other hand, the development of processing industries of basic
commodities. These actions aim at redynamiser the exchanges, to impel the
economic growth and to support the activity of production at the base so as to
reduce poverty.
With the title of the rehabilitation and the modernization of the
economic infrastructures, the actions to be undertaken aim at on the one hand,
to facilitate the movement of the people, the traffic of the goods, by
improving the quantity and quality of the road infrastructures like their
transborder interconnection, and on the other hand, to reduce the times of
transport, the costs of freight, energy and telecommunications.
The principal programs, retained under this shutter, relate to
installation and
the maintenance of the road network as well as the improvement of
the road information system.
The financing to be sought is 360,5 billion F CFA, that is to say
75% of the necessary financings.
The construction of checkpoints juxtaposed at the borders also
constitutes an important shutter (15,5 billion to be sought, is 68% of the
necessary financing).
As regards rail-bound transport, a vast priority action plan is
planned for
interconnection of the existing railroads of Benign, of Burkina
Faso, the Ivory Coast and Togo, while passing by Niamey in Niger as well as the
construction of new ways to carry out the interconnection of the railroads
Bamako-Dakar-Abidjan.
Under air transport, it is envisaged the creation of a regional
company (of a cost of 30 billion FCFA) as well as and the standard levelling of
the airport infrastructures of the Member States, in priority Guinea Bissau.
The projects targeted on the energy level relate primarily to the
reinforcement of
distribution network through the interconnection of the
electrical supply network Mali- Ivory Coast.
In the field of valorization and the transformation of the
natural resources and fight against poverty, the projects to be realized should
be more directed towards the reinforcement of the capacities of search and
popularization for seeds of qualities and suitable plant health products.
Actions are also envisaged for the creation of dies of nontraditional,
essential products for the diversification of the base of the intra-Community
trade and exports except Union.
It is also envisaged the realization of hydraulic works
(drillings) in 3000 villages at a cost of 24 billion F CFA. This will
constitute an element catalyst of the efforts of improvement of the access to
drinking water with the greatest number from the point of view of
achievement of the objectives of the Millenium. This will also
make it possible to create development appropriatenesses of agricultural
productions of against-season in the zones with high hydrous potential.
As regards levelling of the industrial capacities and the
promotion of small
and medium-sized companies and small and average industries
(SME/SME), actions
priority envisaged under the PER relate to a pilot programme of
levelling and
of reorganization of the industrial companies as well as the
development and
promotion of SME/SME within the Union.
The priority action plans as regards human development have
in particular for objectives improvement of the performances in
the field of
education, like that of pubic health. The actions envisaged
carry
primarily on the promotion of centers of excellence as regards
teaching
superior at a cost of 15 billion F CFA, the campaign against the
VIH-SIDA and the paludism which will require a total financing of 24 billion F
CFA, and the installation of a sous-régional network of centers of
reference in medical and surgical specialized care high level (15 billion F
CFA).
`'the road of the development passes by the development of the
road '' had one habit to repeat in Uemoa since 1994.
The commission of Uemoa which gives a report on the
«delay of the Union in the field of the infrastructures (surface
transports, railway, and air, energy and telecommunication) compared to the
majority of the other areas of the world in terms of quantity, quality, cost
and equal acces of the populations» melts much of hope in this program for
booster rocket its device of transport.
The PER will allow installation and the road system maintenance
should absorb 480 billion francs CFA, the construction of 11 checkpoints
juxtaposed at the borders (22,7 billion), the interconnection of the railroads
of Benign, Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast and Togo while passing by Niger as
well as the construction of new ways to connect the railroads Bamako-Dakar and
Abidjan- Ouagadougou, the creation of a sous-régionale airline company
(of which the cost borders 30 billion F CFA) as well as the construction of the
port of Sao Vicente in Guinea Bissau.
The UEMOA engaged in 2002, with the BOAD, to rehabilitate and
carry out a 13.300 kilometers long road network, at a cost estimated at 1254
billion francs CFA.
The zone has only two road axes: thecoastal one and the
transone. The trans-coastal axis goes from Nouakchott (Mauritania) to Lagos
(Nigeria), while passing by Banjul (Gambia), Bissau (Guinea), Conakry (Guinea),
Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Lome (Togo) and Cotonou (Benign). It 4.560 km is long of
which 3.800 km are bituminized and 760 km are not it yet.
The
trans-sahélien axis goes from Dakar (Senegal) to Ndjaména (Chad),
while passing by Bamako (Mali), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and Niamey (Niger).
This road axis makes 4.460 km of which 3.900 km are bituminized and 560 km not
yet bituminized.
The costing of the investments to be realized within the
framework of the regional economic program is based on studies led on a
regional scale by the services of the three Community Institutions. The
priority fields, with the title of which priority action plans were identified,
were the subject of a quantified evaluation. The given total cost is 851,6
billion francs CFA on a horizon of five years programming, with financing to be
sought of 722,6 billion F CFA.
The acquired financing accounts for 15% of the total cost of the
PER, that is to say 129 billion.
The financing to be sought rises to 722,6 billion F CFA, that is
to say an average of approximately 144,5 billion F CFA to be mobilized per
annum for the Regional Economic Program.
Its mobilization would require an optimal exploitation of the
whole of the sources of financing available. This task was entrusted to the
three Community Institutions (Commission of the UEMOA, BCEAO and BOAD) by the
Conference of the Heads of States and Government of the UEMOA.
The various identified sources of financing are in particular the
budget of the bodies
UEMOA, financings of the BOAD, regional money market, banks,
private sector and external financing.
V.8 Bank it regional of solidarity (BRS)
Matured since two years, the project of the regional Bank of
solidarity (BRS) will have to be a reality on all the extent of the Union
before 2006.
The holding of the group of the regional Bank of solidarity
(BRS), called «the bank of the poor» of the economic and monetary
Union West African (UEMOA) has the aim of promoting independent employment in
favor of the populations traditionally excluded from the banking
structure.
The mission assigned with this future capitalization consists, in
a general way, to finance all the agricultural, industrial, artisanal
microphone-companies and the small trades. It aims thus, the insertion of the
young people, the reintegration of the workers and overall, the development of
generating activities of employment and incomes. Its population-target will be
mainly:
- graduates without uses of the higher education, general,
technical or professional, of the technical schools;
- apprentices having completed their formation near a
Master-craftsman duly registered on the register of the craftsmen of his
country and recognized by its pars;
- co-operatives not - financial of workmen, farmers or craftsmen;
- operators of microphone-activities of production aspiring to
the development or the modernization of their activity;
Them Decentralized Financial Systems, for their needs for
refinancing or for the credit limits.
The BRS will have a network of subsidiary companies having
the statute of bank to grant financings to short, average and long term.
The holding will take part in particular in the financing of
microphone-projects of investment which will concern the sector of the
production exclusively and, by extension, with marketing resulting from the
activity of financed production.
It ambitionne to satisfy the needs for
financing of the populations with weak income or without income, like certain
needs for refinancing of the decentralized financial systems which cannot meet
the conditions of access to the traditional bank credit.
Moreover, the BSR will contribute to the increase in the
«bancarisation» of the populations of the countries of the UEMOA like
to the efforts of diversification of the savings in these populations by
supporting the development of all the trades carrying economic growth and will
take part in the process of regional economic integration.
The BRS, which is
equipped with a capital of 24 billion francs CFA, is a limited company with
board of directors calling public upon the saving.
Vis-a-vis the extent of the phenomenon in the Union, the
Conference of the Heads of State and Government has, in its Declaration of
December 8, 1999 entitled «To take up together, in solidarity, the
challenges of the third millenium», reaffirmed the determination of the
States to make fight against poverty a requirement of the economic policies,
thanks to the vigorous promotion of a growth richer in uses, a diversification
of the generating activities of incomes and a reinforcement of the social
programs. Within this framework, the Heads of State decided «to implement,
in a diligent way, the Pact of convergence, stability, growth and solidarity
between the Member States of the UEMOA, thus translating their determination to
look further into the process of cleansing of the national economies, to fight
in an effective way against poverty and to consolidate the bases of their
currency».
The project relates to the installation of a Regional Bank of
Solidarity (BRS-SA), whose architecture envisages a financial holding, acting
of Seat or head office for banking subsidiary companies which will be installed
in each State of the UEMOA in order to exert on a purely principal basis of the
activities of bank. In addition to the banking subsidiary companies, the
Holding will also develop nonbanking subsidiary companies to make it possible
the Group to realize savings of loads in the fields in particular of the
information system but also in the stock management invested in the fight
against poverty by various partners, through a foundation. In addition, Group
BRS will have its own mechanism of guarantee to deal with part of the banking
risks. The tracks of diversification of Group BRS thus traced are not closed.
Generally, the expansion of the Group will be done according to opportunities,
while preserving its vocation first which is to contribute to the fight against
poverty.
In addition, to ensure the success of its interventions, the BRS
will be pressed on partners (structures financial relays, of technical and
administrative support, etc) in the various countries of the UEMOA.
Being the resources of Group BRS-SA, in addition to the basic own
capital stocks of the head office, they consist of loans carried out on the
money market, of concessional resources obtained from partners external as well
as resources of defiscalized saving, funds of a company and guarantee funds.
Moreover, being based on the example of Grameen Bank, the BRS-SA, a culture of
saving will develop in obligatory matter for the customers as of obtaining a
loan. In addition to its customer-target for the activities of direct credit,
the BRS could receive the deposits of the whole of the economic operators,
including those which are not eligible with its financing.
With regard to the mechanism of guarantee, except the guarantee
funds envisaged, the banking subsidiary companies will be pressed on the one
hand, on «economic» mechanisms of guarantee (study of the files of
financing, framing technical and followed by the promoter and his inheritance)
and, on the other hand, on those known as legal (hypothecation of the financed
material, new guarantees to set up such as the Mutual guarantee societies,
forced saving, joint and several guarantees, etc). A combination of these
various possibilities should ensure a maximum security of the appropriations.
On the whole, the project of creation of the Regional Bank of
Solidarity entered its phase of concretization. It will make it possible to
modify the banking and financial landscape of the UEMOA, within the framework
of a bolder contribution to the fight against poverty, through in particular
the creation of many jobs independent in vital sectors of the economy of and
the integration Convention countries of the vulnerable layers of the population
in the financial system of the Union.
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